TRIMARAN MODEL

First and foremost, I give all glory, honor, and praise to Almighty God for His unending grace, wisdom, and strength throughout the course of my studies and this project. His guidance has been my anchor in moments of challenge, and His blessings have made every step of this journey possible. Our deepest gratitude goes to Barr. Joseph Happy and Mrs Joseph, Mr and Mrs. Agbonogieva, and Mr. and Mrs. Opia,whose unwavering support, sacrifices, and encouragement have been the cornerstone of our success. Their belief in us has been a driving force, inspiring us to strive for excellence and persevere through every difficulty
I sincerely appreciate our project supervisor, Engr Jaja Wisdom and Dr. Ambrose Orogun, for their exceptional guidance, constructive criticism, and patience during the course of this work. Their mentorship not only shaped this project but also deepened my understanding of practical marine engineering principles. I am also thankful to all lecturers and staff of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Benin, for their commitment to knowledge and for providing the academic foundation upon which this project was built. Special thanks to friends Clinton, Diamond and my course mates, whose collaboration, technical insights, and shared passion for engineering made this research both rewarding and memorable. This project stands as a testament to faith, perseverance, and the collective effort of everyone who contributed to my academic and personal growth.

This study conducted a comprehensive hydrodynamic analysis and environmental adaptation of a trimaran model specifically designed for Nigerian coastal and inland waters. Employing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, this research analyzed resistance, stability, maneuvering, and wave-making resistance. The CFD simulations, performed using the k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model, captured critical hydrodynamic behaviour, including flow separation and wake interactions, with grid resolutions optimized through a grid independence study. Results showed that the refined grid achieved a stable resistance prediction at 125.4N, maintaining a y-plus range of 20 to 90 for accurate boundary layer modelling. There was a non-linear increase in resistance, reaching 450kN at 25 knots, and a metacentric height of 2.8m at a 10-degree heel angle, ensuring stability. Maneuvering analyses indicate a turning radius of 350m at a 25-degree rudder angle, demonstrating the trimaran's agility in confined waterways. Environmental adaptation showed a 20% increase in resistance under rough sea conditions, emphasizing the need for design optimizations. These findings highlight the trimaran's suitability for the challenging maritime conditions of Nigeria, balancing efficiency, stability, maneuverability, performance, safety, and adaptability while offering insights to optimizing future trimaran designs under similar environmental constraints. These findings also provide a framework for future designs that address local environmental challenges while maximizing operational efficiency. Nonetheless, optimizing side hull configurations to enhance wave cancellation effects and reducing wetted surface area to improve drag performance is recommended